(Not Applicable)
The present invention generally relates to the preparation of liquid products, and more particularly to a system for the preparation of liquid mixtures from a concentrate.
Many liquid products are prepared by the addition of a liquid to a concentrate. Food products prepared in this manner include baby food, fruit juices, sports drinks and nutritional supplements. Non-food products include pesticides, pharmaceuticals and construction materials. In such cases, the liquid is typically water, though it may be a variety of other substances (e.g. milk or hydrocarbon). The concentrate may be a powder, granulate, paste or concentrated liquid.
Concentrates offer many benefits. These include compactness, light weight, and extended shelf life. Many packages have been developed to contain such concentrates including cans, cartons and packets. Such packages are often offered in a variety of sizes ranging from bulk containers to single-serve and other pre-dosed measures.
Despite the diversity of packaging formats, most existing packages for concentrates demonstrate several disadvantages. In most existing packages, the concentrate must be transferred to a separate mixing container prior to the addition of liquid. In transferring the concentrate, the consumer risks spilling it. For non-hazardous materials, spilling is a nuisance; for hazardous materials spilling may be dangerous. In addition to the concentrate being transferred, the liquid must be measured (usually using a separate container) and added to the concentrate. Thus when using existing packages, one or more vessels are dirtied and must be discarded or cleaned.
The present invention addresses the above-mentioned deficiencies in concentrated mix packages by providing a system which includes a premeasured dose of a concentrate contained in an expandable package. Specifically, the present invention provides a cartridge that is filled with a concentrate and is insertable into a bottle of water or other liquid. The invention provides a means of pumping the water from the bottle into the cartridge. As water is pumped into the cartridge, the cartridge expands into the bottle whereby the contents of the cartridge is mixed with the liquid in the bottle to produce a liquid mixture. In this respect, the present invention provides a system whereby a liquid mixture can be made from a concentrate quickly and easily.
A cartridge for a compressible bottle containing a liquid is disclosed. The cartridge comprises a housing that is attachable to the bottle and a collapsible bag that is attached to the housing. The housing and bag form an interior that contains a quantity of concentrate. Disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the liquid contained within the bottle will be an input port. Additionally, the housing will include an output port in fluid communication with the exterior thereof. A transfer mechanism is disposed between the input port and the bottle that is operative to pump water from the bottle through the input port. The transfer mechanism is activated by compression of the bottle and, accordingly, compression of the bottle will force liquid from the interior of the bottle into the interior of the housing and hence the bag. The liquid will combine with the concentrate contained within the housing to make the desired liquid.
It is contemplated that the concentrate may be a food item such as baby formula, sports drink, or juice mix. Accordingly, the output port may be a nipple, nozzle or other closure appropriate for the type of mix contained within the cartridge. In order for the bag to expand, the bag will be fabricated from a plastic material. It will be recognized that the liquid contained within the bottle typically will be water; however, other types of fluid may be used.
In a first embodiment, the cartridge is generally cylindrical such that it is insertable into a neck of the bottle. In this respect, the cartridge will be sized to fit standard commercially available water bottles and may be fabricated from a plastic material such that the same is disposable. Additionally, the cartridge includes a transfer mechanism which is operative to transfer water from the bottle into the cartridge.
In a second embodiment, a generally cylindrical cartridge is sized to fit into a specialized bottle. The specialized bottle contains a transfer mechanism which transfers water from the bottle into the cartridge.
In accordance with the present invention, there is additionally provided a liquid preparation system. The liquid preparation system comprises a compressible bottle with a hollow interior and a cartridge insertable thereinto. The cartridge is comprised of a housing and a collapsible bag attached to the housing. Disposed within the housing and the collapsible bag is a concentrate, such as a powdered drink mix. An input port is disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the liquid contained within the bottle and the interior of the housing. The housing will further include an output port in fluid communication with the exterior of the housing. A transfer mechanism is provided such that compression of the bottle forces liquid contained therein into the interior of the housing and the bag such that the liquid will combine with the powdered drink mix.
In accordance with the present invention, there is further provided a method of forming a mixture with the beverage preparation system. The method comprises compressing the bottle to thereby force the liquid contained therein into the cartridge of the beverage preparation system. The liquid forced into the cartridge will mix with concentrate contained therein in order to produce the desired mixture.